MEL ... Read in code block to Execute

[jwsweeney]

I am trying to figure out how I can read in a block of code from a text file to be executed in a MEL script.

I have separate windows that are populated by the same buttons. If I want to update all the windows, I need to open the separate MEL files and add the new code to each. It would be preferable if there was a single Master Text File that I could update, which would then propagate to all the different windows, drawing from that one file.

Is it possible to save just the button code in a text document and then call on that to be inserted and executed for each window script?

I have been able to read the text file contents into a variable that I can then print, but I haven't figured out how to execute the code in that text file within a script.

So far I've explored solutions with feof , fgetline , fopen , fread , freadAllText.

Here's an example of what I'm looking to do....

window -title "WINDOW" -rtf true -s false myWindow;

    gridLayout -numberOfColumns 5 0cellWidthHeight 50 50;

         // -- THIS IS THE BLOCK I'D LIKE TO READ IN TO EXECUTE -- //

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image1.png" -c "myCommand1"

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image2.png" -c "myCommand2"

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image3.png" -c "myCommand3"

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image4.png" -c "myCommand4"
     
// -- END BLOCK TO READ IN TO EXECUTE -- //

showWindow myWindow;

The text file I save out would be....

//
//-- BLOCK TO READ IN TO EXECUTE -- //

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image1.png" -c "myCommand1"

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image2.png" -c "myCommand2"

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image3.png" -c "myCommand3"

        // BUTTON
        symbolButton -i "/image4.png" -c "myCommand4"
     
// -- END BLOCK TO READ IN TO EXECUTE -- //

... and then I would like to read that into multiple scripts, so I can just update that file and it will propagate, looking something like this...

window -title "WINDOW" -rtf true -s false myWindow;

    gridLayout -numberOfColumns 5 0cellWidthHeight 50 50;

    magicReadInAndExecute "/directory/file.txt";

showWindow myWindow;

MEL or Python solutions are welcome. I'm more proficient at MEL but am beginning to transition to Python.

[bjeldark]

You can store each line read from text document in string (or string array), and then use 'eval' command to execute it.

e.g.

// Here you would actually get data from your document, by reading each line
string $buttonOne = "symbolButton \-i \"\/image1.png\" \-c \"myCommand1\"";
string $buttonTwo = "symbolButton \-i \"\/image2.png\" \-c \"myCommand2\"";
string $buttonThree = "symbolButton \-i \"\/image3.png\" \-c \"myCommand3\"";
string $buttonFour = "symbolButton \-i \"\/image4.png\" \-c \"myCommand4\"";

// and then simply evaluate them where needed
window -title "WINDOW" -rtf true -s false myWindow;

gridLayout -numberOfColumns 5 -cellWidthHeight 50 50;

     // -- THIS IS THE BLOCK I'D LIKE TO READ IN TO EXECUTE -- //

    // BUTTON
    eval($buttonOne);

    // BUTTON
    eval($buttonTwo);

// BUTTON
eval($buttonThree);

// BUTTON
eval($buttonFour);
 
// -- END BLOCK TO READ IN TO EXECUTE -- //

showWindow myWindow;

Of course, you can put it all in magicReadInAndExecute procedure - text document reading and some "for" loop that will go through all strings, and evaluate them; or whatever you require.

Kind regards,
Darko

[jwsweeney]

Thanks for the info!

eval was the command I've been searching for.

Instead of reading the file in line-by-line to variables and executing each button like you recommened, this is the solution I found to read it all in and execute all at once:

string $fileName = "/computer/folder/MasterButtonFile.mel";
int $fileID = `fopen $fileName "r"`;

string $fileText = freadAllText($fileName);

window;
     gridLayout -numberOfColumns 5 -cellWidthHeight 50 50;
     
eval $fileText;

showWindow;

Thank you so much for your help! I've been trying to figure this out for awhile and you unlocked it!

[bjeldark]

No problem.
Be creative and keep it up!

Regards,
Darko

[system]

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